Leaf pickup device for lawn mowers



E. G. ERKE ETAL LEAF PICKUP DEVICE FOR LAWN MOWERS June 24, 1941.`

Filed Sept. 11, 1939 Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STAT es OFFICE l'@Entrance Device comms Momes Ervin George Erke and G'eoge'Eiista'ceMorris, f ist. Paul, Minn'. Application septiter 11, isaafsferiai No.294,350

gclaims. (or cl-2911i v An object of our invention is to provide-alsimple and inexpensive leaf pick-up device vfor lawn mowers which maybe made either in the form of lan attachment for the ledger bar of anexisting lawn mower or built up aspart of the ledger blade itself. I

Another object is to provide a leaf pick-up device which includes aplurality of laterally spaced teeth extending forwardly and downwardlyfrom the ledger blade of a lawn mowervand pointed at their forward ends,the forward ends being relatively close to the ground surface andadapted thereby to effectively passunder Aany leaves such as plantainand dandelion leaves, and elevate them up inclined edges of the teeth toa position in the path of movement of the reel blade.

Still another object is to provide inexpensive leaf pick-up teeth for alawn mower formed of substantially triangular plates having each a pairof projections from one side of the triangle riveted in openings of theledger bar or asupporting plate adapted to be attached to the lowersurface of the ledger bar of a lawn mower.

Still a further object is to provide projections on the plate-like teethat the apex of the triangle which terminate immediately below the pathof the reel blade and are effective to raise leaves to a point Wherethey may be readily cut by the reel blades.

With the foregoing and other contemplated as well as obvious objects inview, the invention comprises the combination of elements andarrangement of parts so combined as to coact and cooperate with eachother in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of theresults herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations thespecies or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lawn mower with our leaf pick-updevice installed thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 2a is a sectional view on the line 2a- 2a of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing a modified constructionin which the leaf pickup teeth are mounted directly on the ledger bar;

Figure 4 is a perspective View of one of the leaf pick-up teeth of ourinvention;

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective View of another modification of theinvention, and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2a showggthrmodication of Figure 5partially in section. ,Y f

. On the accompanying drawing we have used l the reference'character Mto indicate generally a mowerl Themiowe'r M is of conventional typeincluding al ledger bar IU and a reel having reel blades I2. The ledgerbar I0 and they reel blades I2 colact "as in Figure 2-y when the reelrotates in the direction of the arrow I3 for cutting grass.

I-Ieretofore` it has been dicult to cut leaves such 'as those found onplaintain and dandelions vwitlifa", llawn mower because such leaves havea tendencytolie close to the ground, whereas grass onthe other handprojects upwardly from the `ground and may bey readily cut.

consisting of a supporting bar I4 and a plurality of teeth l5 arrangedwith relation to the ledger ba-r IIII as shown in Figure 1 so thatleaves as indicated at I6 will be picked up by the teeth and fed intothe reel for being cut thereby.

The supporting bar I4 is provided with pairs of openings I1 and with twoor more openings I8. The openings I8 are adapted to receive bolts I9which extend through openings 20 in the ledger bar IIJ for the purposeof fastening the supporting bar I4 to the ledger bar.

Each tooth I5 consists of a flat substantiallly triangular shaped platehaving a pair of projections 2l from one side of the triangle. Theseprojections extend into the openings I1 and are countersunk rivetedtherein as illustrated in Figure 2a. A projection 22 is located on eachplate immediately below the path of the blade I2, which path isindicated at 23. (See Figure 2.) The teeth I5 project downwardly andforwardly from the ledger blade I0 to a position adjacent the groundsurface 24.

Accordingly, as the lawn mower M advances, the teeth I5 engage theleaves I6 and elevate them along the inclined upper edges of the teeth,the portions 22 finally guiding the leaves into the cutting zone of theblade I2. Thus, all leaves encountered by the mower are effectivelylifted from the ground and cut by the mower when our attachment is used.

In Figure 3 we illustrate a modification in which the tooth I5 issecured directly to a ledger bar Illa. IThe ledger bar lila is providedwith openings Ila directly receiving the projections 2| of the teethwhich are then riveted relative to the ledger bar.

In this type of installation the extra supporting bar I4 is not needed.

The teeth I5 may be readily stamped out of trated in Figure 4 and has aspring tooth por- Y tion S. The tooth S is made ofa leafspring `havingperforations 25 and 26 fitting over the y projections 2| which are laterriveted in the supporting bar I4, as in Figure 6. The perforation 26 atits forward edge rests on top of the front end of the tooth l5a, asshown in this figure,v and when an obstruction is met such 'as the hump24h in the normally level ground surface 24a, the tooth may springupwardly insteadv of gouging into the ground. The forward'end of thetooth S is turned upwardly at 21 to accomplish this result.

Having described three specific embodiments of our invention togetherwith the operations thereof, We desire it to be understood that theseforms are selected merely for the purpose of facilitating disclosure ofthe invention rather than for the purpose of limiting the number offorms which it may assume. It is to be further understood that variousmodications, adaptations and alterations may be applied to the specicforms disclosed to meet the requirements of practice without in anymanner departing from the spirit and scope of the present inventionexcept as set forth in the claims appended hereto.

We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States:

1. In a leaf pick-up device for a lawn mower having a ledger bar, aplurality of laterally spaced rigid teeth supported by said ledger bar,said teeth having rearwardly and upwardly inclined upper edgesterminating at their upper ends adjacent and in front of the forwardedge of the ledger bar immediately below the path of the reel blade andhaving forwardly and downwardly inclined spring blade portions formingcontinuations of the forward ends of said rigid teeth and terminating attheir lower ends adjacent the ground, said portions having sufficientresiliency to spring upwardly when striking the ground.

2. In a leaf pick-up device for a lawn mower having a ledger bar, aplurality of I laterally spaced rigid teeth supported by said ledgerbar, said teeth having upper inclined projections terminating at theirupper ends adjacent and in front of the forward edge ofthe ledger bar-immediately below the path of the reel blade and having spring bladesforming forwardlyY and downwardly extending continuations of the forwardends of said rigid teeth, said spring blades at their rear endsoverlying the forward ends of said rigid teeth and said projectionseffecting guidance of material to said reel and ledger bar after thematerial leaves said spring blades,-said spring blades being springableupwardly from said rigid teeth upon striking an obstruction.

ERVIN KGEORGE ERKE, GEORGE EUSTACE MORRIS.

